Filtering.

[Dan 4RR]

What are good areas and bad areas to filter through traffic ? Obviously not on roundabouts or corners, etc. But on straight roads and stuff. Because when I go to college I normally que up like a normal car on this small hill leading up to a cross-road, but I've seen other lads on scooters fly pass me and go straight to the front of the que. But I thought it may be dangerous because while there filtering up the lights ahead could change to green at any moment and lorrys, buses, etc are coming round the corner. I was just thinking to myself would it be a good idea to do it?


Does anyone have any tips for filtering, bad/good experinces etc?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/VivaCity/untitled.bmp

Unfortunaltey the picture has come out too small, but you may be able to make out the purple arrows are the direction that I go. The people I've seen have filtered to the front when cars have been coming round, etc.

[instigator]

Never really ideal to filter up to a junction where its only go left or go right. People won't really expect it and frankly, I think its pretty rude and dangerous, going round the outside, turning the same way someone else is.

Where there is a road straight through, then yes, so long as I know I'll be at the front by the time the lights go green. I don't like it when the cars are closely packed, the lgiths go green but you're in between cars. Use the green cycle part at lights at the very front if the cars are very closely packed together. You don't want to be delyaed in that situation at all.

Motorways are fine, generally for slow moving vehicles less than 20mph. You can filter at higher speeds that that obviously, if you're more experienced and confident enough, but I'm not at that stage yet. I usualy wait till people are doing less than 15mph before switching into filtering mode.

Its okay to cross onto the other side of the road whilst filtering but only when the traffic you're passing is at a standstill and you're not doing anything erratically like riding in the centre of the opposite lane

I can't really make out what your diagram is saying, its nigh on impossible. But hopefully what I've said is helpful. Basically, filter only when you're confident that you can do it safely. Keep a vigil eye for indicators on vehicles, cars entering slip lanes onto the m/way/dual carriageway, car drivers heads moving. Usually when I'm filtering, I pull the clutch in and rev the bike so people know whats happening and that I'm near.

[Rollins]

If there's a gap between the lanes, use it

You can filter on the inside or the outside as well, but they're best done in stationary traffic as it isn't as dangerous.

You have to be confident, that's the main thing. On my journey this morning, I was filtering behind a biker who didn't know how to keep his bike in a straight line, clipping several mirrors on the way through, but my RS is a skinny little beast and I know it will go through most gaps easily.

I normally edge out in front of the cars at the front of the lanes, so that I can pull away first and not have to worry about the cars either side of me.
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"... I wouldn't mind doing 130 up to a T junction, but unfortunately my bike tops out at 120 which is gay..."
2005 CBR600RR

[Rollins]

A bit dangerous this, but if I'm in a rush, I will filter at pace through the traffic, which will be moving at normal (legal) road speeds, with me riding at higher speed along the white lines. I picked this up following a guy on a ZX-6R around Birmingham, who was damn confident, and/or slightly mad.
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"... I wouldn't mind doing 130 up to a T junction, but unfortunately my bike tops out at 120 which is gay..."
2005 CBR600RR

[paulodd]

I am also at college and there is always ques somewhere along the way. The first few days i didn't filter, i stayed in the ques, and looked at cars reactions to each of the roads. I then decided which roads, i thought, were safe and which were not safe to filter on.

It does speed up the journey a lot but when filtering you do need make sure its safe and then also be very wary od EVERY car, as any one could pull out on you.

I got knocked off when filtering. Some bugger in a volvo did not look when coming out of a minor round onto the major road and took me off.

Its a great feeling going past all those angry car drivers, and you know they are looking at you and are jealous Just make sure its safe, and you don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine


Paul
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Paul
1999 Yamaha R6
www.coventrybikers.co.uk / www.norfolkriders.co.uk

[headlamp]

Most of my 10 mile daily journey is filtering, on everything from 6 lane carriageways to single lane roads, carrying everything from juggernauts to Mums in Volvo 4x4's!

Having done this for five years, the secret is 100% concentration. You have to constantly scan what is happening all around you, and cover the brakes all the time! In terms of speed, the rule is you can travel at 15 mph faster then the traffic around you. Whenever I follow the Met Police bikes they seem to filter at around 10 mph! So consequently if the traffic is moving at 10 mph you can go at 25 mph. Reason? So you can stop quickly if neccesary. You also should be constantly evaluating and looking for escape routes. Wear high vis stuff and consider riding with your full beams on. Yes it does dazzle drivers, but what they tend to do is move out of the way to stop the light reflecting in their faces from the wing mirrors.

I tend to find that 'characteristics' and pattern of the traffic changes daily - by this I mean that some days cars 'behave' and you have a fairly good run, no need to use full beams, hooter etc., and other days you have cars with poor lane discipline, weaving, changing lanes without indicating etc. Finally when approaching junctions, always slow down - especially when there are high sided vehicles around. Consider too the weather conditions (this may affect braking performance, stability & grip) and visibility.

Finally there will always be a biker or scooter boy who wants to go faster than you - let them. The other day I was approaching a particularly nasty junction on the North Circular Road in London and this soon to be dead learner biker whizzed past me - I had seen a Land Rover edge out from the right 100 metres or so in front, but because he was focussing on going fast (ish) he hadn't. Fortunately the Land Rover saw him (albeit late) and stopped and the rider managed to stop (Only used his front brake as he wobbled all over the place) - he was lucky this time.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Barker-CBR 600]

One hand ready to brake, one ready on the clutch one ready to hoot, one to give the one fingered salute, the other two to steer.. hmm...

I agree with headlamp there, there are days when i filter for about 3-4 miles out of a 11 mile journey and some days where the traffic is simply having none of it.

The trick is start small and see how you cope and what you feel. For me it kind of went :-

- Stationary traffic when nothings coming the other way
- Slow moving traffic nothing coming the other way
- Slow moving with a wider than normal road and slow traffic other
way
- Medium moving traffic (20-30) when nothing coming
- Medium on a wider than normal road
- Anytime there is space and i feel like its safe to do so

By limiting yourself till you feel confident, you in fact make yourself think more about whats there. Setting out not planning to filter unless everythings still and nothings coming, you will be looking constantly asking the questions 'is something coming? is it safe? have things started moving again?' which will direct your attention.


The worst danger i think you can find on most roads when filtering ESPECIALLY in the slowest traffic is the 'pull out right' in towns and off minor junctions. Cant see the car pulling out since your in the middle of the road and there is traffic between you and them, also cant see the gap that it is about to pull through.

It pops up out of traffic faster than you can say 'aah shi..'

So if you know the route, you can learn places where this could happen and be a lot more vigilant around these area's.

I seen a guy on a scooter wipe himself out after following me the whole way... i pull in behind a truck as i see/smell/sense the car and he just scoots on past.. right into its way. So dont get intimidated by the guys behind you, if they want to go just nick back into the traffic and let them go, if they dont say thank you their a git and its not your problem.


And remember, one day sods law will shine through, for whatever reason there'll be an arty on one side, an arty on the other and you in the middle with no way out. Physically most roads ARE big enough for this... but you WILL need new trousers afterwards. So keeping calm and trying to get out of the situation is the best method.. if you cant.. try an stay equidistant from them both... at least your squish mark will be nice an even then. (joking, try and avoid this one )
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Dan 4RR]

Hi.

Thanks for the advice fellas, I'm sure I'll get the hang of filtering soon enough.

Are the bad times to filter through traffic on round-abouts, corners, cross-roads, etc.

The good times to filter are...

[Barker-CBR 600]

Yeah filtering up to any sort of junction/roundabout can be a bad idea.

But its a bit subjective (as with most things ) If NOTHING is moving for miles, then even at roundabouts its doable, a trip around London will show you the odd situations people find to filter.

Stick to what your comfortable with, soon you'll be doing 40 minute car journeys in 15 minutes, and grinning with the extra sleep time it allows you.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[JonB]

On a dual carriageway when you know there is a roundabout at the end and the traffic is barely moving is a good time to filter, there is usually a big gap between the two lines of cars and I can go at 20MPH safely. Also at traffic lights when there are two lines of traffic, just pull in every so often if the lights change to green and you haven't reached the front as it can get pretty unpredicatable after that.

If in doubt, just queue.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.